It feels like we hear about another club closing down every other week at the moment, and now there could be another, huge, name to add to the list.

Ministry of Sound is facing a challenge to its entertainment licence in the form of a planning application for an apartment block nearby. The chairman of Oakmayne, the property developer that put in the bid, is quoted on djmag.com as commenting “nightclubs come and go”, showing a staggering disregard for the future of one of the most famous venues on the planet.

Ministry of Sound aren’t taking it lying down. They’ve put out a statement that reads:

Ministry of Sound is not just a nightclub. Millions of people have passed through our doors over the 20 years we have been open. 300,000 people visit us annually, bringing trade to Elephant & Castle and the surrounding area. We have always strived to create the moments that people live for, and we will continue to do so. We are the people that come here, the people that work here, the music that is played here and the lifelong bonds that are made here. If we lose Ministry of Sound, we are losing a vital piece of youth culture in this country. Nightclubs may have existed before Ministry of Sound, but they were never the same afterwards.